Let's start with a positive. As a writer, Zentner's all in with imagery. Here's a sampling of his writing style: It’s when Cash decides to take a chance on himself, that the story shifts from one about two special kids trying to escape the poison in their small town, to one about those same kids realizing that it’s what’s inside them - their gifts and their love - that will not only be the things that end up saving them, but that might actually save their small town, too. I initially intended to read this book over several days, and I even put it down a couple of times intending to call it a night. But the book kept calling me and so here I sit after midnight just soaking in this book. Sometimes a book just speaks to you and for me, this was one of those. This book is about everything I just mentioned, but it’s about something else. In the words of one of my characters:

When she makes a remarkable scientific discovery locally with Cash’s help, it gets Delaney a full ride to a prestigious Connecticut boarding school, where she’ll finally be challenged academically. She convinces them to award the same opportunity to Cash, since she can’t imagine undertaking this adventure without him.

I find what I love most about my favorite authors is that they tell previously overlooked, untold stories. Which is why I love all of Jeff's books. There's nothing spectacular or special about any of his main characters. They're the kids in your high school that you probably didn't know much about, the cashier at the Dairy Queen, the quirky kids with the odd hobbies, the misfits in your hometown. But he gives them dignity. He makes you look at those "average" and "unspectacular" people and see that they actually are spectacular and special, in their own ways. It perfectly encapsulates what it feels like to be the outsider. What it feels like to be lost. To love. To grieve. To heal. For example, not only did I recognize pieces of Cash and Delaney: the two HS best friends that In The Wild Light swirls around, but I absolutely knew Cash’s papaw and mamaw - the grandparents who raised Cash after his mother died of a drug overdose and who nearly end up raising Delaney as her mother battles the same addiction. Like a lot of small, rural communities Sawyer, Tennessee is being devoured by drugs. The opioid crisis has swallowed both Cash and Delaney’s parents, and is threatening to destroy them as well, when suddenly, and remarkably, everything changes. That's what Jeff does through his writing. He finds the "broken spots" and makes them beautiful. This book is special. The characters are special. And I hope you give this special book a chance. If you've never given contemporary fic a chance, I beg you to try Jeff's books. I'm not saying his books will all of a sudden make you love all contemporary, realistic fic...but I am saying that his books are remarkable and able to be loved and appreciated by every type of reader. Readers love good stories, and all of Jeff's stories are good. This time the answer was: standing in rivers, floating on rivers, reading poems, writing poems, audacious journeys with friends, having friends smarter than you, learning about the wonders of the world from friends smarter than you, that one teacher you never forget, talking on front porches, sitting silent on front porches, watching the sun set, and falling in love.

A beautiful book and my favorite of Jeff's novels since his debut, which will forever hold a spot on my shelf of all-time favorite reads. In the Wild Light is Jeff Zentner’s new novel about two kids--Cash and Delaney--who would be lost without each other. They are best friends in a small Tennessee town ravaged by opioid-related tragedies, including their own mothers. Delaney is a genius whose scientific instincts lead her to an astonishing discovery. When she is invited to an elite East Coast prep school, she insists that her friend also receive a scholarship. Cash is torn between being there for Delaney and being there for his dying grandfather. I can’t say much more about this without spoilers and even if I was so inclined, I wouldn’t want to deny other readers the powerful experience that Zentner provides as Cash and Delaney struggle to understand where they belong and their relationships with each other and their friends and family. Words make me feel strong. They make me feel powerful and alive. They make me feel like I can open doors." When you grow up with ugliness and corruption, you surrender to beauty whenever and wherever you find it. You let it save you, if only for the time it takes for a snowflake to melt on your tongue or for the sun to sink below the horizon in a wildfire of clouds."One thing I particularly love about all of Jeff’s books is the message that you don’t have to do overly impressive things to live a life full of love and dignity. While the circumstances that lead to Cash and Delaney ending up at a boarding school are indeed extraordinary, this book goes to show that sometimes our most memorable and important moments can be lunches at McDonald’s, quiet canoe rides on the river, and even doing laundry with a good friend. Thank you so much Jeff Zentner for writing this gorgeous story!! I’m still in awe... And everyone reading this review, even if you normally don’t read YA: please read this brilliant gem of a book! Like all of Jeff Zentner’s books, In The Wild Light has a heart that beats in Tennessee. And although I’ve never lived in “the volunteer state,” I did call its neighbor to the east home for nearly 30 years - which may be part of the reason why I always feel as though I *know* the small towns that Zentner creates. I’ve been to places like Sawyer, Tennessee. But more importantly, I *know* the people who live and love and sometimes die in there, too. I have confirmed a new quirk of mine. When I finish a really good book, I clap my hands as if I just watched a performance… and boy did I clap my hands for this! Cash lives in the tiny rural town of Sawyer, Tennessee, raised by his beloved grandparents since his mother died from opioid addiction. He’s content for his life to consist simply of going canoeing on the river, mowing people’s lawns, and spending time with his best friend, Delaney.

The book is beautifully written, but not in an exhausting manner. I loved meeting all of the characters and the realistic banter between each of them. They felt real. It reminded me a lot of my high school friend group. My love for Zentner’s books has no bounds. I know several things will happen when I read a Jeff Zentner book.This was way too pure for me. I really really loved it. It was still hard to rate because I did have some issues, but I still felt it deserved 5 stars. The poems were so good, and some parts that were not poems still felt like reading poetry.